If you are more of the Mensa type, your can challenge your mind by solving the little riddles of Puzzle University. Whichever particular riddle you choose, the goal is the same: you have to clear the screen of the colored blocks within the permitted number of moves (as stated by your friend and mine, the by now ubiquitous "Jigglypuff"). This task is often difficult to perform within the proscribed number of moves, but that's precisely what makes it fun, for those so inclined.

In Spa Service, the gamer gets to take on Team Rocket (oops, I spoiled the "surprise" opening), who in a true showing of solidarity with the gay pride movement, appears almost exclusively in drag (yep, all three of 'em) throughout the entire course of this mode. Apart from that bit of business, the goal of the mode is to clear the blocks below a given "clear line". Spa Service starts out in 2D mode but changes to 3D about halfway through the game, with the speed of rise increasing with each successive victory.

To play the game continuously without any time limits or stage changes, try the Marathon mode. Here you play in your choice of 2D or 3D until you are defeated (as always, when the blocks reach the top of the screen). Upon defeat, you get to feel like you're back in school again, since you get graded on your performance: the game will summarize and list the number of chains and combos you completed during the game.

Time Zone requires the gamer to race against the clock, clearing as many blocks and creating as many chain reactions as possible within a given amount of time. Once again, those who dread report cards need not apply: when that clock runs down, you get the same treatment as in Marathon mode. Just don't show it to your mother.

Upon completion of most game modes, new characters and modes are "opened", becoming available for use, should you so desire. That being said, completing certain of these modes in order to do so is far from an easy task. Despite Pokemon Puzzle League's being marketed to kids (as I seriously doubt the existence of any Pokemon fan over the age of 10), the game may be a bit too challenging for them.

Insofar as the window dressing, Nintendo didn't do too badly (particularly considering my experience with Mario Tennis), but with what I understand is something in the realm of 150 Pokemon running around out there, they could have done a lot better, too. Most of the Pokemon themselves (with a few notable exceptions) are amusing enough, and a few are actually endearing, but the trainers.well, let's just say that with the exception of the amusingly fey "Team Rocket" and the sexy-voiced, yet prominently lisping "Sabrina", anyone past the ripe old age it takes to be a typical Pokemon fan would have been better served by the option to play as the Pokemon characters themselves, as opposed to the trainers.

More, no matter what your age or state of health, heed this warning: whatever you do, make sure you turn the game music off, unless you want to have a heart attack. I found that every time I left the game music on, it made me extremely uptight, no matter how relaxed I was at the time, and caused my heart to race madly. Lest you have any doubts, I can tell you that the damn music had a similar effect on someone else who had walked into the room, and that person wasn't even playing the game!

Highs:

Extremely addictive and fun gameplay. Lots of levels and modes to keep you playing for a long time.

Lows:

Chock full of annoying characters and a whole lot of really bad voices from the Pokemon cartoon. If you're a fan of the show you should be in heaven, but for the rest of us, it plays thin very quickly. You don't have the option to choose which characters you want to play as in the one player Stadium mode, since they ("naturally") assume you'll want to play as the show's ostensible "hero", the irritating little brat "Ash". Of course, this is the same company that put out Mario Tennis. Enough said.

Final Verdict:

Pokemon Puzzle League is the first puzzle game in a long time to have me hooked. Controls and gameplay are simple and easy to learn (mastering the game, of course, is not). Even if (like myself) you hate the cartoon, you may very quickly find yourself in love with this game. You really can't find yourself a better, more entertaining and variety-packed puzzle game than this in today's market.

Overall Score: 9.5